With the ceremony behind me, I stepped into the main hall, where the familiar map table and the Will training platform awaited. The Guild Master, standing at the front, began with the same speech he had delivered to the hero in the game, his voice resonating with authority. "You'll find quests on the map table."

I nodded in acknowledgment. "Thanks, I'll take a look at them."

Approaching the map table, I scanned the available quest cards, my heart quickening with anticipation. There were three options laid out before me, all of which I recognized as quests that had previously been locked due to requiring a renown of level 2.

One quest was titled Snow Troll Attack. It promised a chilling challenge, but the thought of battling frigid beasts didn't deter me. Another quest was labeled Suppress the Uprising, a wicked ruler's request to quash a revolution. The revolt had sprung up in response to oppressive taxes that had drained the people’s spirits and livelihoods. A hero's involvement in such a cruel endeavor? I couldn't help but scoff internally. Oh yeah, that's totally something a hero should do.

The last quest, however, caught my eye and sparked my interest: Minion Camp. I knew that all minions served Jack of Blades, and the thought of facing them exhilarated me. Normally, a new Hero started with level one renown, but thanks to my previous exploits—suppressing a bandit invasion and defeating Jack one-on-one—I had been automatically promoted to level two. The request was straightforward: destroy Jack's minion fortification in Witchwood.

A smile crept across my lips, excitement bubbling within me. I turned to the Guild Master, confidence radiating from my voice as I declared, "I'll take this one that says Minion Camp."

“Are you sure, Hero? That quest has a high difficulty, and you've crossed paths with Jack of Blades before,” the Guild Master, known as Weaver, cautioned, concern etched in his features.

Weaver couldn’t see the massive grin spread across my face, concealed behind my masking spell called Dark Visage. The mask of darkness enveloped my features, with glowing orbs of light where my eyes should be, creating an air of mystery that only enhanced my confidence. “That’s perfect, Weaver,” I replied, my tone playful yet determined.

A surprised expression flickered across the Guild Master’s face at the mention of his old hero name, which few still remembered. “You must have lived to see much, Grey Cowl.”

Being a Will user, Weaver could be considered ancient in his own right, possibly half a millennia old. “We are more than just our age and less wise than we’d have ourselves believe,” I remarked, a hint of wisdom woven into my words.

“There is truth in what you say,” he replied, giving my shoulder a reassuring pat before walking away, his presence a reminder of the legacy I was stepping into.

I accepted the guild card, ignoring the option to boast. The idea of boasting in real life struck me as ludicrous. Why risk my life or the lives of others for the sake of empty words and a gamble for more coin?

Stepping up to the Cullis Gate platform in the guild, I used my level two renown to access the teleportation portal to Witchwood. With a flash of blue light, I was transported, finding myself in the damp, dark woods, the air thick with the scent of moss and decay.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Now to deal with bandits and Balverines,” I muttered to myself, my voice taking on a haunting resonance thanks to the Time dilation spell matrix I developed previously.

I was aware that more than just Jack's minions lurked in Witchwood. This place was notorious for harboring various creatures, including Rock Trolls, which only added to the challenge I anticipated.

As I walked through the entry area, I spotted a group of Jack's minions huddled around a large round stone. It was one of the activation sites needed to release the legendary Sword of Aeons. So, he was investigating it at this point?

Jack's minions were enchanted suits of armor given a fake life and soul using Will energy, akin to how undead existed. I knew this because William Black—or Scythe, as he’s currently known—was undead and retained all his memories and powers, but he had given his soul while still alive to complete the Sword of Aeons.

I had a decent level of strength and speed, using my new staff as I swung at the closest minion. It managed to block my initial strike, but I quickly followed up with a flurry of blows, causing the enemy to stagger back. As the other minions tried to rush me, they found themselves cut down by a horizontal time blade. I slowly wore down my enemies, and with one final thrust, the spear-like crystal of my staff shattered the last minion.

“You call this a legion, Jack?” I taunted, playing the part of a competitor demolishing his forces. Although I’m not evil by any means, I had seen enough movie and game performances. These minions weren’t truly alive; it was like hitting scarecrows filled with ambient Will energy. They granted experience when defeated and could be bound to the summon spell.

“Dare you to face me again, Jack?!” I shouted, aiming to provoke him further.

I knew Jack wasn’t here, but he could sense what was happening, and he had certainly heard me. He would see me growing stronger at a rapid pace, and his fear of me would only increase...

“Pestering me again, Hero?” Jack’s somber voice echoed from seemingly nowhere.

I shrugged. “Just finishing what you started. You chose to come back to Albion and try to take what’s mine.”

“Everything has always been mine!” The voice shouts enraged, revealing the location of the minion it was coming from.

Using my light spell, I shot a laser through the minion, sending a final threatening message that Grey Cowl was coming for him with a force beyond his calculations. He would try to find me and discover who I was and who I cared about, but I could teleport. He would never be able to uncover the truth about me. All the while he was focused on Grey Cowl, he wouldn’t be able to pay attention to me and my family. I’m magic Batman!

As I walked into the minion camp like a confident mini-boss, I shouted, “Is this all?”

The remaining warrior minions charged at me, but several were caught by my time blades due to their invisible nature. Some held back, showing they either had some learning ability or that Jack had some kind of remote control. The last few were protecting a mage.

The mage cast some kind of energy ball and launched it at me, but I effortlessly blocked it with a time shield.

“Pathetic,” I commented scathingly.

Even though my Will energy pool had grown significantly, this battle was draining me severely. I was mostly putting on a show to intimidate Jack.

A laser was a long-distance attack, but the cutting effect worked better up close. The farther away it was, the more energy dispersed, and the more it cost to use. Bending light around me, I turned invisible, disappearing before my enemies. I snuck up behind them as they searched around. With a flash of light, I took out the mage with my max-powered laser.

“All out of Will energy, Hero. Your Will energy is low,” the Guild Master’s voice chimed in, a familiar reminder that echoed in my mind.

The last two warrior minions crossed weapons with me, but with my enhanced strength and speed, I easily dodged their clumsy strikes. Mother was far more skilled than these things. Slowly, I wore them down, feeling the exhaustion creeping in afterward. Dang, I either need to get stronger or I need better offensive spells.

With the quest complete, I picked up the mage minion's staff and activated my guild seal, teleporting back to the Guild to claim my reward and the renown that accompanied it.